It is not too early in John Heginbotham's choreographic career to describe his work as "School of Mark Morris," which is not surprising when you consider that he danced in Morris' company for 14 years and picked up more than one tip on fusing dance and music.

But that categorization would not account for the tempered energy, effortless charm and droll wit displayed by the six-member Dance Heginbotham, which made its West Coast debut Thursday evening at ODC Theater, the latest entry in the ongoing Music Moves Festival. When the dancers jog around the perimeter of the performance space or tease you with expected symmetries that refuse to materialize, you can sense the playfulness of his former employer, the sense of community one treasures in Morris' performers.

Heginbotham may care deeply about the relationship between movement and music, but he has other fascinating matters on his mind. In "Twin" (2012), he develops patterns imbued with almost geometric rigor. Four of the dancers (Kristen Foote, Lindsey Jones, Weaver Rhodes, Sarah Stanley) materialize in Maile Okamura's op-art costumes, while John Eirich comes on in a flowing white skirt. The spread-out unisons, flowing arms and vacant stares suggest a calisthenics class, but the isolations and broad strides imply something subversive. The title of the dance probably alludes to the deft mirror duet for Jones and Stanley.

At one point, Heginbotham, dressed in a black suit, emerges from the wings and stands motionless at the rear. Yet his ominous presence confers an air of narrative. Eirich is drawn to him like a magnet, and his periodic reappearances darken the mood, complemented in the score by Aphex Twin. The style becomes expressionistic; surely Heginbotham intends those silent screams to look like a stroke of parody. "Twin" leaves us asking questions, but they're the right sort of query. Nicole Pearce's dazzling lighting scheme is just about the best I've seen in this theater.

"Twin" demands that these admirable dancers curb their natural brio, which is untethered in the zany "Closing Bell" (2011). Inspired by a "Twilight Zone" episode, it opens with four dancers rolling around the floor. These toy-shop denizens flop, swagger, rock on their haunches, toss in some ballet bits, run in circles, make eyes at each other and do whatever awakened dolls are supposed to do.

The score by Tyondai Braxton mingles lush orchestral sonorities with jazz riffs and sound effects. And Heginbotham's choreographed response to every moment has yielded a splendid kinetic cartoon, climaxing in a feigned shoot-out. Throughout, the dancers' movements reflect the score meticulously.

This is where the comparison with Morris ends. For one thing, Heginbotham's scores (both written for him) are serviceable, not great music. Second, as yet in his tender choreographic career, Heginbotham can't deploy the dancer's body as a medium of musical interpretation. But there is time.

Happily, Heginbotham still dances with relaxed verve. His loping performance of a Remy Charlip Air Mail dance, "The Picture Image Solos," left the audience wanting more.